Out of The Blue? Colour as Strategic Tool in The Built Environment to Engage With The Community

Udo Schliemann - International Colour Day Keynote Guest Speaker

Abstract

As Principal Creative Director at Entro Communications in Toronto, a leading studio for branding, wayfinding and experiential design, Udo will delve into the profound relationship between colour and cultural centers, public buildings, and workplaces. 

Colour plays a key role in branding, signage and building identification. It is used strategically to 'speak' to user groups, in ways that words cannot. Colour allows people to engage and identify with a building or program, to create a sense of home and inclusion. It is therefore a unique tool for place-making and place-keeping. Through real life examples, Udo will demonstrate how, since the pandemic - the lack of places to hang out, reach out to people, and foster real encounters - became obvious.  Indirectly, colour can help us to overcome loneliness, and uplift our social and mental health.

The lecture will demonstrate the use of colour as a communication tool: how it attracts; lowers the threshold anxiety to enter a building; and creates an identity that users can associate with. Colour breaks the 'greyness' of urban design, and reaches people in mysterious ways. The talk provides a viewpoint from a practitioner who has used colour in graphic design as a  visual contribution to the humanisation of our build environment,  elevating the experience of the everyday citizen from unremarkable or  baffling places to pleasurable and engaging ones. While  the concepts are mostly simple and based on geometric forms, the  effects in the environment are often surprisingly refreshing and  unexpected. These designs support  wayfinding as they function as landmarks in a building, but they also  add a poetic and reflective atmosphere in our technologically driven  world.

Speaker Spotlight: Udo Schliemann

With an impressive 42-year career as a Graphic Designer, Udo Schliemann leads a dynamic team at Entro Communications in Toronto, ON. Originally from Germany, Udo ventured to Toronto in 1999, contributing significantly to Gottschalk+Ash. In 2011, post-chairing the SEGD international design conference in Montreal, Udo assumed the role of Principal Creative Director at Entro.

Udo's expertise shines in integrated signage and placemaking programs for cultural institutions, notably the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the AGO's Weston Family Learning Centre, the ROM, and currently, the Perelman Centre of Performing Arts in New York. His work, adorned with accolades such as the Red Dot Award, SEGD Awards, Applied Arts, and Grand Prix du Design Awards, reflects a fusion of functional design and artistic brilliance.

Trained and mentored by the esteemed designer and artist Anton Stankowski in Germany, Udo seamlessly integrates artistic elements into his designs, elevating each program beyond pure functionality. In 2017, he earned a well-deserved spot as a member of the distinguished Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Udo's journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of design, creating impactful and visually stunning experiences.

Links

https://entro.com/team/udo-schliemann/

Please note

The CRSC AGM is for members only (6-7pm), however the Keynote Lecture is open to all (7-8pm).